Bowling Green, KY Property Maintenance: Trash Bin Storage (2026)

Bowling Green Code of Ordinances Chapter 20 (Solid Waste Collection) governs trash service inside the city limits. The city has franchised residential collection to Scott Waste Services, and Chapter 20 makes it unlawful for any non-authorized hauler to collect solid waste or recyclables within the city. Residents must store household waste in lidded, durable containers and set them at the curb on the scheduled collection day; the city's Code Compliance page also requires that lidded containers be used for collection, that appliances awaiting pickup be positioned face-down, and that hazardous materials go to the recycling center rather than the curb. Containers must not block the sidewalk or right-of-way under City Code 21-1.02 (which requires owners and occupants to keep sidewalks and rights-of-way free from obstructions). Recycling collection inside the city operates under a Warren County franchisee; only the authorized recycling franchisee may collect residential recycling within Bowling Green city limits. Yard-waste pickup is offered seasonally — yard waste must be placed at the curb on the designated day. Persistent violations of Chapter 20 (uncovered containers, overflow, unauthorized hauler, blocked sidewalk) are enforced by Code Compliance and adjudicated by the Code Enforcement and Nuisance Board under City Code Chapter 2-21. Fines under Chapter 20 run up to $100 per offense, with each day of continued violation treated as a separate offense.